Catholic Commentary on Psalm 136

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

The Great Hallel

Psalm 136, known as the Great Hallel, is the most liturgically structured psalm in the entire Psalter. Every verse consists of a declaration followed by the same refrain: His love endures forever. Twenty-six times, the congregation responds with the same words to twenty-six different statements about what God has done. The structure enacts the theology: however much the acts of God vary across creation and history, the underlying reality is always the same: his love endures forever. This is the bedrock beneath everything.

The psalm moves through three great movements: creation, the Exodus, and the gift of the land, and from each domain comes the same confession. He made the heavens, his love endures forever. He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, his love endures forever. He remembered us in our low estate, his love endures forever. He gives food to every creature, his love endures forever. The word translated love, hesed, is the covenantal faithfulness that will not let go. The Catechism cites this psalm as the Old Testament's fullest expression of the conviction that divine faithfulness underlies all of history (CCC 2085). Nothing that happens falls outside the domain of this refrain.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, take the structure of Psalm 136 as a prayer exercise. Make your own list: the specific things God has done in your life, one by one. After each one, say aloud: his love endures forever. By the time you have finished your list, the refrain will have done its work. It always does.

Prayer

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. In creation, his love endures forever. In redemption, his love endures forever. In every low estate he has remembered us, his love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, his love endures forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

136
His Loving Devotion Endures Forever
(2 Chronicles 7:1–3)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.
His loving devotion endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His loving devotion endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His loving devotion endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders.
His loving devotion endures forever.
5 By His insight He made the heavens.
His loving devotion endures forever.
6 He spread out the earth upon the waters.
His loving devotion endures forever.
7 He made the great lights—
His loving devotion endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day,
His loving devotion endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night.
His loving devotion endures forever.
10 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His loving devotion endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His loving devotion endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
His loving devotion endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea * 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15 in two
His loving devotion endures forever.
14 and led Israel through the midst,
His loving devotion endures forever.
15 but swept † 136:15 Hebrew shook off Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His loving devotion endures forever.
16 He led His people through the wilderness.
His loving devotion endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings
His loving devotion endures forever.
18 and slaughtered mighty kings—
His loving devotion endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His loving devotion endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His loving devotion endures forever.
21 and He gave their land as an inheritance,
His loving devotion endures forever.
22 a heritage to His servant Israel.
His loving devotion endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His loving devotion endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His loving devotion endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His loving devotion endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!
His loving devotion endures forever.

*136:13 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15

†136:15 136:15 Hebrew shook off

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